


Code

by Vakaara



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: Fluff, Handwriting prompt, M/M, kakavege week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-31
Updated: 2019-01-31
Packaged: 2019-10-19 18:58:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,456
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17607068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vakaara/pseuds/Vakaara
Summary: Goku squinted at the scrap of paper. The sunlight streaming in through Capsule Corps’ high windows dropped cheerfully across the odd page. Goku wasn’t an expert on writing, but he was pretty sure most people’s handwriting didn’t look like this.





	Code

Goku squinted at the scrap of paper. The sunlight streaming in through Capsule Corps’ high windows dropped cheerfully across the odd page. Goku wasn’t an expert on writing, but he was pretty sure most people’s handwriting didn’t look like this. The uprights of each letter sloped back instead of forward, and the bits that usually looked rounded had angles instead. And the words, or numbers, made even less sense than most things Goku tired to read.

__  
1 VY = 0.6 SY  
1 SY = 2.4 EY  
VY 342  


Was it a code? It didn’t look like the things Bulma normally wrote on boards in her lab, and the handwriting didn’t look like Bulma’s either. Goku turned the paper sideways and brought his face closer to it. It didn’t make the meaning any clearer.

“Kakarot.”

“Oh hey, Vegeta!” Goku turned, smiling. Vegeta didn’t glare in return, which was nice. They’d come a long way. Goku hadn’t even sensed Vegeta enter the room, he’d become so comfortable with his ki.

“What are you doing,” Vegeta didn’t phrase it as a question, frowning when he saw the paper in Goku’s hand. He crossed his arms. Vegeta was wearing earth workout clothes today, leaving his arms and hands bare. He looked softer that way, and it spread a warm feeling through Goku’s chest. 

“Trying to figure out what this means,” Goku held the paper toward him, “any ideas?”

Vegeta glanced briefly at the paper, as if confirming its appearance rather than reading it. “Obviously, Kakarot. I wrote it. It’s not your concern”

“You wrote it?” Goku couldn’t imagine Vegeta sitting down with a pen and writing out this weird series of numbers. “Why?”

“Not your concern,” Vegeta repeated, tilting his chin down. His stubborn look. Or one of them.

“So it _is_ a secret code!” Goku grinned, and bit back a laugh when Vegeta sighed then brought his hand to his forehead as if fighting a headache. “How come you won’t let me in on the secret code, Vegeta?”

Vegeta dropped his hand to glare at Goku. Goku kept grinning, eyes wide. His innocent face. Vegeta narrowed his eyes and Goku wondered if he’d realize Goku was just baiting him now. He counted on people taking him lightly to get away with a lot, but he wasn’t sure how much he fooled Vegeta these days. Months training with Whis had been time for them both to see new sides of the other. 

If Vegeta kept holding out about the paper, maybe Goku could work in an apron jab to goad him a bit more. Though he’d have to do it when no one else would hear, or he’d violate their unspoken agreement to never speak of some things on Earth.

“You got me, Kakarot,” that was definitely sarcasm in Vegeta’s voice, “it’s a code, and I’m not explaining it to you.”

Goku blinked, off balance. He hadn’t expected Vegeta to take that and run with it. Vegeta clearly didn’t want to explain whatever he’d written, and that just made Goku want to know even more. 

“Well, if you can spare time from your new secret society with codes and all, how about a spar?” Vegeta was usually more talkative after sparring. Goku had come here for sparring practice to begin with anyway.

Vegeta tilted his head to the side, looking suspicious. “Alright, Kakarot. But don’t think I’ll go easy on you just because you’re letting yourself get soft playing at being a farmer.”

Playing at was right. Goku had gotten everything planted, then forgotten about the seeds and torn up half the land with training maneuvers. Luckily they didn’t actually rely on those crops to survive. ChiChi had still been furious at the waste and carelessness of it. She had a point. Goku wasn’t farmer material. 

Sparring, though, he never screwed up. Not with Vegeta, who always kept him on his toes. Goku grinned, blood singing in anticipation of a good fight. “I’d never want you to go easy on me, Vegeta.”

* * *

Goku grinned down at Vegeta, pinned underneath him. They were both breathing hard, and Goku could feel Vegeta’s body warm against his thighs. Even though Vegeta was shorter, Goku still had to stretch over him to hold Vegeta’s hands pinned to the ground, bringing their faces close together. Bulma had once snapped a photo of them in a similar pose in the gravity room, licking her lips and saying they’d make a hot couple.

Vegeta’s eyes were narrowed angrily. “You have to yield before I let you up,” Goku reminded him. Otherwise Vegeta would launch back into the fight, taunting Goku for being too foolish to confirm his opponent was down.

“Fine,” Vegeta huffed, “I yield.” Goku let him up, feeling a tingle of pleasure at the acknowledgment of his victory. It was common form for their spars now, but he never got tired of hearing Vegeta recognize his strength.

In a single fluid motion Vegeta regained his feet. Goku stretched his arms over his head, enjoying the soreness from a good fight setting in. The warm sun felt good against his muscles.

They’d taken to sparring near a stream, and Vegeta crouched at it now, drinking deeply. Goku joined him, savoring the cool water. After drinking Goku stepped away from the bank slightly then flopped contentedly on his back, pillowing his head on crossed arms. He let his eyes fall closed and his face relax into a smile, enjoying the sun. After a moment he heard Vegeta settle on the ground near him, though a glance through slitted eyes showed that Vegeta stayed sitting upright.

The grass felt nice. Goku sighed and let his breath and body relax to resting level after the spar. But he still had questions for Vegeta. After a bit, he opened his eyes and watched Vegeta sidelong, wondering how to sneak the note into a conversation.

Vegeta turned to stare directly at him, gaze flat. “Go on then.”

“What?” Goku blinked, surprised.

“Whatever words you’re weighing, Kakarot. Out with it.”

Goku laughed. He thought he’d been more subtle. Oh well.

“That note,” he paused to gauge Vegeta’s expression. It stayed neutral. “I still wanna know what it says.”

Vegeta sighed and shook his head, looking out at the stream. “Nosy bastard.” There was no heat to the words, though. Goku thought he heard amusement in Vegeta’s voice.

“I guess so,” Goku sat up cross-legged and angled himself toward Vegeta, “And?”

“It’s just time conversions, Kakarot,” Vegeta grinned, a lot less mocking than his old expressions, “Bulma wanted to do some calculations. But it might as well be a secret code, where you’re concerned.”

“Time conversions for what?” Goku tipped his head to the side, remembering, “what’s SY stand for?”

Vegeta shifted as if uncomfortable. “Standard year.”

“And VY?” This was slow going.

“A year on our home world.” Goku watched Vegeta slump forward slightly, as if wanting to curl inward.

“Do you miss it?” Goku asked. Vegeta turned toward him, his expression uncharacteristically open surprise. Goku had a sudden urge to hug him.

“Of course I miss it,” Vegeta sounded surprised to hear himself voice the words, “it was my home.”

He looked lost for a minute. Goku scooted closer across the grass, close enough to press his leg against Vegeta’s where they sat. It felt right, somehow, to be close enough to feel each other’s warmth right then. Vegeta tensed as if to pull away, then relaxed and allowed the contact.

“Tell me about it?” Goku asked. Vegeta turned toward him, surprised. Goku leaned over more to rest his shoulder against Vegeta’s. “Tell me any old thing. I don’t remember our home world at all.” _Our._ “What’s something there we don’t have on earth?”

“Apart from our own kind, you mean?” Vegeta’s voice was bitter. Then he paused, and frowned. “The food is better here, actually. More variety. There’s less grit getting in everything too.”

“What about the fishing?” Goku couldn’t imagine living somewhere and not fishing.

“That -“ Vegeta frowned, “I have no idea.”

No one else alive did, either. It struck Goku as sad, and he dropped his head to Vegeta’s shoulder. Several moments passed before he realized how strange it was that Vegeta hadn’t shoved him off yet. Maybe Vegeta drew some comfort from their closeness too.

Vegeta had drawn his knees up, hands loosely clasped between them. His torso was a line of warmth against Goku’s side. 

“You’re trying, aren’t you?” Vegeta’s words dropped softly into the quiet, tone gently surprised. “To… help.”

“Yeah,” Goku shifted a little closer to Vegeta, “I like it better when you’re not sad.”

Vegeta didn’t answer that, but after a few beats he dropped his head to rest on top of Goku’s.


End file.
